Chapter Four
Happy Birthday
Yuuta stared at the small piece of paper in her hand with huge eyes.
"I TOLD YOU! HAHAHAHAHA!" Eri's evil laugh echoed through the elementary corridors.
"Demo...demo..." Yuuta sputtered disbelievingly.
"Yes way. A cute older guy so is asking you to come to his party! WEEEE!" Tsumi and Eri grabbed hands and pranced in a circle, one laughing evilly, the other squealing.
"Demo..."
"It's black and white and in your hand. It says 'To: Kokubunji, Yuuta and all her friends, From: Fujima, Yomoki. Destination: XXX XXXXX St. Why: Because it's my party, Yuu-yuu-chan, please come.' I think he really wants you to come. Everything else is typed but the 'Why' part." Chidori pointed out, adjusting her glasses.
"Paufty, paufty!"
"You want to go, Pauftymon?" Yuuta asked amazed. Pauftymon hopped in her arms excitedly.
"Well?" Tsumi asked breathlessly. All her friends, even Chidori, looked at her with pleading eyes. "Please?"
"Maa, if Paufty says she wants to. Do you three want to go?" she asked the others Digimon.
"Yeah! Maybe we'll meet some strong Champions! Middle-schoolers are going." Mushroomon replied.
"It's a party! That's all that matters!" Gizamon declared. He took after his partner in many ways.
"I don't want to be left out, so sure." Gotsumon said softly. Gotsumon was just as shy as Yuuta, she was sure he would've been on her side. Course, he hated being left out more.
"Okay, then." Yuuta finally gave in.
"YAY!" Her friends cheered.
"Let's go home and pick outfits for Saturday." Tsumi decided.
"Cool. We'll go to Tsumi's first. We'll pick out Yuuta's last because hers has to be the best for Yomoki."
"Ne?" Yuuta blushed and was pulled out of the empty school. She sighed. I am going to be so late. Maybe I will use Tsumi-chan's phone. She pictured her mother screaming over the airwaves. Or not.
& & &
When the four girls turned and looked at the house in front of them, they gulped nervously.
Tsumi was wearing a cute knee-length, blue sundress and sandals. Her shoulder-length ebony hair was fish-bone braided with her bangs cut straight over her eyebrows and black eyes. She wore a light blue and white blazer.
Chidori had her curly dirty-blonde hair pulled back into her usual ponytail, the end falling to her waist, even in the ponytail. Her glasses were sliding off the end of her nose, her gray eyes wide. She wore an ankle length jean skirt and dove-gray turtleneck with a red vest over it. She wore socks and Keds.
Eri was wearing cream-colored corduroy, shin-length-overalls with a loose long-sleeved, burgundy shirt. She wore socks, the tops just under the bottom of her overalls, and sneakers. Her pixie-cut auburn hair had a burgundy headband and her bangs fell in green eyes.
Yuuta was wearing simple jeans and a buttoned-up, long-sleeved lavendar blouse. She wore her normal slip-on leather pumps. She wore a loose cashmere forest-green sweater, falling over one shoulder. Tsumi said it brought out the green in her hazel eyes. Yuuta tried to say they were just brown, but her friends had ganged up her. She wore two green barrettes in their usual place. Her arms tightened around Pauftymon.
All were holding presents under their arms.
"Well, are we going in or what?" The girls looked down to see Gizamon looking up at them expectantly.
"Come on! I hear a Sukamon in here!" Mushroomon cracked her knuckles.
"Well, let's go." Eri said. She looked like the calmest one. She smiled at her shy Gotsumon and they all walked up to the door. Yuuta knocked at her friends' urgings.
"Finally! You are so dead, Kokubunji!" Yomoki exclaimed as he opened the door. They heard laughter and a bunch of shouting behind him.
"Ano...sorry. I will just go back home." Yuuta turned quickly, heart thumping painfully.
"What!" Eri grabbed Yuuta as Yomoki yelped, surprised.
"Don't mind her, Yomo. She's just painfully shy. We are all at least two years younger than everybody." Eri explained. "Suck it up, Kokubunji. You haven't given Yomoki his present yet."
"Oh, you guys didn't have to. You're all poor besides Chidori."
"The invitations asked for presents." Chidori reminded him.
"Oh, well, I basically mass printed them, just changed the names on them. I was so hassled from trying to get them printed in time I forgot to delete that off yours. Well, come on!" He grabbed Yuuta and pulled her in.
"Eek!" She stumbled in, her friends trailing behind the two.
One room had a bunch of video games and a crowd of people watching the players. The kitchen had a huge table loaded with food. Music was playing in the den downstairs. Because there were no high-schoolers, there was no making out in dark corners, besides for a few eighth graders. Course, they were not doing anything other than making out. (A/N: Wanted to make sure you got that. No booze, sex, or anything like that. Mainly kids here. The oldest there were fourteen.)
"My mom and dad kinda trail around the house, but they pretty much stay out of the way. This is my first big party."
"If it's this big when you're twelve, then it's going to be huge when you're sixteen." Chidori noted.
"Do we have V.I.P's?" Tsumi asked with an elbow nudge.
"Totally. Wouldn't be a party without you guys. I've been picking on you guys so much, it'd feel weird if you weren't there." Yomoki laughed.
"Hey, Yomo!" Gazimon ran up.
"Yeah, dude?"
"Two Chuumon's are fighting over a plate of Cheez Puffs."
"Darn. You guys drift around, okay? I'll find you guys sometime. I'll probably run into you trying to break up another Digimon fight. See ya!"
"Well, that sucks." Eri sighed.
"It must be tough being the host. Let's all have one huge sweet sixteen for all four of us at one time so we can host together." Chidori proposed.
"That's a great idea." Tsumi agreed enthusiastically. "We'll do it at your house, Chidori. You have the biggest house in Odaiba."
"Stop flaunting that, please." Chidori rubbed her temples.
"Still, that's a good idea, too. Tsumi's right." Eri pointed out.
"I know. I live there, don't I?"
"Hey, let's have fun. Let's grab some food and check out the den." Tsumi tugged at Eri's arm.
"Awesome! We'll learn how to dance early." Eri agreed.
"Hey, want me to get a drink for you?" asked a voice. Tsumi turned, startled.
"Me?"
"Yeah."
Tsumi may have been young, but she was still really pretty with a heart shaped face, wide black eyes, thick lashes and naturally pouting, pink lips. Her round clear face glowed.
"I'm nine." she said bluntly. The guy blinked.
"I'm thirteen." He blurted. Tsumi giggled cutely, one dimple in her left cheek. "You're really cute for a little kid. Why don't you girls hang with me and my friends so no one runs away with you." Though he addressed all of them he was looking at Tsumi.
"That sounds like fun. But what if you and your friends steal us?"
Her friends stared in shock as the Tsumi slipped easily into 'flirt mode'.
"I promise we won't. Yomoki was talking about you four. I just didn't realize it was you until you told me your age. I'm his friend Johnson, Shinichiro."
"Oh, you are the half-American. You play on his tennis team."
"Yeah, that's me." Shinichiro grinned at Yuuta. "You must be Yuu-yuu-chan. He talks about you all the time. I would've recognized you right off, but you were facing away. Cute Digimon. Never seen one of those."
"Paufty!"
"She's one of a kind." Gotsumon said proudly. Gotsumon was as protective of Pauftymon as Eri was of Yuuta.
"Yup." Eri nodded.
"What about that drink, you meanie? I wanna go down and meet some people. I want to get a good name before I join you all for middle school. I'll only have one year with you all, but it'd be cool to hang with ninth graders when I'm only a seventh grader." Tsumi interrupted with a pout.
"Oh, right. Don't worry about getting in with us in when you join middle school. You're already in thanks to Yomoki. He's pretty popular. What do you all want?"
"You only have two hands. Plus, I'm hungry. Let's all go together and get down there." Eri jerked her head to the den.
"Good idea."
They all finally got to the den, laden with pizza, Chex Mix, White Rabbit, pockey, and other snacks, a plastic cup for each filled with their favorite drink. Yuuta was surprised to see her favorite canned lemon green tea in the icebox. For some reason, the others weren't surprised.
"Ohh, I love this song." Tsumi squealed.
Shinichiro took her out to the dance floor. Soon, Tsumi was surrounded by guys and girls alike, all showing her how to dance. Eri joined in and all the older kids loved them. After accidentally tripping over a girl's foot, Chidori started a conversation with said girl about some Biology class in middle school.
Yuuta leaned against the wall, Gotsumon beside her. Gizamon had found a bunch of funkily dancing Digimon. Mushroomon was outside where Digimon sparring was allowed. She sipped her tea quietly, her foot tapping to the songs as they played. Her eyes searched the crowd, and found the knot where her two dancing friends were and met Yomoki's eyes. She blushed and quickly gulped her tea, breaking eye contact.
"You didn't get any food?" Yomoki asked below the music as he got to her side.
"I could only hold my drink. I just stole some of Eri-chan's pockey. I cannot let go of Pauftymon in this crowd. I might lose her."
"Paufty!" Yomoki looked down to see a happily bouncing Pauftymon. He laughed seeing she was trying to dance, bouncing in time with the beat.
"She has rhythm, how cool. Maybe you should start up a band when she gets some arms... and a body, too." Yuuta giggled.
"Fujima-san?"
"Yeah?"
"Happy birthday." She smiled brightly.
"Hey, Gotsumon, Gazimon?"
"Yeah, partner?"
"Yes?"
"Can you guys not fight for a few minutes and watch Pauftymon?"
"Sure, dude."
"I don't fight!"
"Great. Come on, Yuu-yuu-chan. Let's go dance." He plucked Pauftymon out of her arms and gave her to Gotsumon.
"I cannot dance!"
"I'll teach you. So will all my other friends. Look at Eri and Tsumi."
"They are not shy like me. They can dance with anybody. I do not even know those people."
"Then, you only have to dance with me. Sounds good." Yomoki grinned at her blush. Her blush got redder as the song stopped and a slow song came on.
"How cliché is that?" Eri rolled her eyes.
"Very, but I'm not complaining." Yomoki set his hands on Yuuta's waist and Yuuta glanced fearfully at her two friends.
Eri deliberately grabbed a random guy walking away and wrapped her arms around his neck. Tsumi linked her fingers behind Shinichiro's head, smiling up at him. Yuuta swallowed and did the same. She watched out the corner of her eye and saw almost everybody just sorta rotating slowly. Sinking into the music, she let Yomoki lead. Her head fell on his chest and she blushed, guilty picturing another face. Yomoki had no idea, innocently in love.
& & &
"Bubble Blow!" Pauftymon's attack managed to move Gotsumon back. Eri ran up and measured the distance he moved.
"A whole inch." She announced.
"Wow! That's great! Go, Paufty!" Tsumi scratched the Baby's head.
"Paufty!"
"Gostumon has the greatest defense thanks to his rock exterior. For a Baby to actually move a strong Rookie level with such high Defense stats is pretty good. Pauftymon is going to be very strong in all her levels if she doesn't evlove for long periods and you train her in each level. Ours didn't stay Babies that long and it took almost a complete year for them to be Rookies." Chidori rattled on.
"Geez, what a nerd." Eri huffed. Chidori frowned as the others giggled.
"I am not a nerd. I just want to know everything about Digimon because they're our partners." Chidori huffed.
"We will never know everything about Digimon. You just cannot do that." Yuuta said.
"I don't need to know everything. I don't know everything about myself, why should I try and know everything about someone else? Right, Gotsu? We don't have to know everything about each other, some things are personal."
"Like your crush, right, Eri?" Gotsumon teased.
"HEY!"
"Ooooo! A crush, tell me, tell me, tell me, puh-lease!" Tsumi begged. There was more laughter.
"No way, you're a blabber-mouth. Not even Yuuta knows."
"Wow. Really?" Tsumi gasped. "You tell Yuuta everything."
"A week until Festival." Gizamon said suddenly. They turned to him, confused at the tangent.
"What does that have to do with anything?" Eri demanded.
"It's Yuuta's birthday." Gizamon said as if it was obvious.
"Obviously." Which it was.
"Well, are you guys going to have a party for Yuuta?" Gizamon snapped at Eri.
"Iie. We never do. My birthday party is the Festival." Yuuta blushed and looked at her feet. "That is all I need." It is the closest I can get to my hero, and that is all I want for my birthday.
"Plus, she's only turning ten. We'll wait until her sixteenth to go all out! We just have a gigantic cake the day before the Festival, hand over presents, and do some karaoke. Just a get-together thing." Eri flung an arm over Yuuta's shoulders ruffling her hair.
"Hey, stop it! You're messing up her barrettes! She doesn't look like Yuuta without her barrettes!" Tsumi exclaimed. She pushed Eri away and fussed busily. Yuuta let her, used to it.
"Hey, girls! Over here!"
The girls turned and saw Shinichiro and Yomoki running up. Tsumi hurriedly smoothed her already perfect hair. The girls rolled their eyes.
"Hi, guys!" Eri waved.
"How's tennis?" Tsumi asked cutely.
"It's been pretty good, but the weather has been getting so cold." Shinichiro muttered darkly, wrapping his jacket tighter.
"Yeah, I know. The only person who doesn't seem to mind is Yuuta." Tsumi nodded.
"I like the cold. I am a little scared of fire and stay away intense heat." Yuuta said.
"Did you have a bad experience or something?" Yomoki asked. Yuuta shook her head.
"What did you guys want?" Chidori asked.
"A bunch of our friends are meeting at the Festival. You want to come join us all?" Yomoki offered.
"Kakkoi! I'd love to!" Tsumi agreed.
"I miss Fuka-san. She's coming, right?" Chidori asked.
"Yup."
"I can't wait to win that bet with Kurosawa-san! That sexist jerk is going down!" Eri's eyes flamed as she rolled up a sleeve.
"Calm down, Eri!" Gotsumon cried.
"What did Kurosawa-baka say this time?" Shinichiro sighed.
"He said a girl could never win against a guy in that mallet game. You know, where you slam down the mallet and that little bar thingie flies up and hits the bell? I'll show him."
"He always talks so tough. A lot of girls beat him into the dust and he still gets up calling girls weaklings. The only reason we hang with him is because Yomoki's too nice to blow off his fan club, and Kurosawa's sister is the president." Shinichiro massaged his forehead.
"You have a fan club?" Tsumi inquired. Yomoki blushed.
"They're just three stupid girls who like me because I play soccer and tennis."
"And look hot doing it!" Eri laughed. The others laughed, and Yomoki glanced towards Yuuta, disappointed to see she was calmly whispering with her Digimon.
"How's Pauftymon? Still training her?"
"Hai. She is really strong for a Baby. Aren't you, Paufty?" she cooed tickling Paufty playfully. Her eyes glowed as Pauftymon made squeaky noises. She laughed behind her hand.
Yomoki silently wished her eyes would glow like that when she looked at him. The others watched the three sadly, seeing the wistful look in Yomoki's black eyes.
"We'll see you two around, okay?" Chidori grabbed Yuuta and began dragging her away.
"Ja ne!" Shinichiro waved.
"Ja ne, Shini!" Tsumi waved.
"Why did you do that?" Yuuta asked confused. She dug in her heels and bent to pick up a frantically hopping Pauftymon.
"We wanted to spare Yomo-kun some pain." Tsumi snapped.
"Nani?" She looked to Gotsumon startled. He shrugged just as clueless.
"We all know you like Digimon more than him and it's hurting him deeply." Chidori explained.
"Nani?" She repeated.
"You always act so free around Paufty and so distant with him. He likes you a lot, and you can't give up your juvenile love of Digimon to realize what a great guy he is!" Eri finally burst out.
Yuuta's brown eyes flared, the specks of green flashing like darts. The girls took an involuntary step back at the anger hidden there.
"First of all: I am only nine and he is twelve. I am way too young for him! Second: My love of Digimon is not juvenile! They are a part of me in a way no human can be! Third: He cannot possible like me enough to be jealous of Digimon, especially my Digipartner! That is juvenile! Fourth: I am in love with someone else! Nobody, not even a Digimon, could even compare to my hero!" Her chest heaved, her eyes still looking deadly. Her anger faded instantly and she clapped a hand over her mouth.
"You're in love with someone? Even more than Digimon?" Tsumi gasped. Yuuta looked at Pauftymon, her hand falling and pulling her partner to her.
"Yes. Ever since I saw him...I do nt even remember when." She took a step back, and then another.
"Matte, Yu-" Eri took a step towards her recognizing the signs. It was too late.
They watched shocked as Yuuta fled, disappearing into the tamed woods of the park.
& & &
"Do you think she'll show up?" Tsumi whispered, wringing her hands.
"She's probably here, just hiding until we leave. She's only missed the Festival once and that's because she had to go to the temple. You have to spend the rest of the day in contemplation when you get a Digipartner." Chidori reminded them. The others nodded.
After fleeing the park, Yuuta had avoided them, even at school. She had always sat far from her friends in class, having selected a seat in the back on the first day, and the teacher never changed the seating chart. She had successfully disappeared whenever they got close. She knew their normal routine and anticipated their movements. Digimon helping her out and not telling about it didn't improve the situation.
"Let's go in. We could always keep an eye out for her in there." Eri suggested.
Yomoki, Chidori, Shinichiro, and Tsumi nodded sadly.
Yuuta looked around the small shrine, dedicated to gods or spirits long before the Chosen Children She sighed in relief as the others went into the crowds.
"Paufty?" Yuuta petted her without a word.
I wish I did not have this stupid devotion to the Chosen Children. I could have stayed home. I will go pay my respects to the DigiTemple on the other side of the Festival and get out of here. She quickly merged with the crowd, wearing a normal cloud and crane lavendar and white kimono, Pauftymon gazing around in silence and wonder.
She made it to the other side of the Festival grounds and stared up at the Temple where the DigiDeity-no, Gennai-sama, told her her destiny.
"It seems so unreal, like a dream, Gennai-sama." She whispered to the stone steps. She climbed them quickly, hitching her skirts around her thighs, Pauftymon hopping beside her. They made it to the top, panting.
The coolness of the shadows inside flowed over her skin. The dance of the fire in the torches played over her face, making the green in her eyes flash once again. She flinched from the warmth reflexively.
"Paw-paufty!" Pauftymon gasped.
"Gomen nasai. You need more physical training anyway." Yuuta smiled, squatting with her legs still together in the tight kimono.
"Paufty!" She squeaked outraged. Yuuta giggled. She jumped at her echo.
"Silly me." She shook her head and stood once more. "This is where you were born. Right here in my hands." She cupped her hands together before her. Pauftymon hopped and landed in her hands. Yuuta smiled.
She looked around, holding Pauftymon in her arms instead of her palms.
"There are the Chosen Children. They are just like me. I am a Chosen Child."
She walked towards the altars. Their parents had long ago placed the pictures in this Temple of their hometown. There was one picture for each Chosen Child and their partner. The framed photos sat on tall pedestals. The Crests were carved on the pillar of every one, but Inoue-Deity and Hida-Deity's. Their names were signed on the pictures by themselves. The names were repeated in more legible writing on the pillars, below the Crests. She bowed, tears forming.
The Great Battle was playing in her mind. More than just the end of it, what Gennai-sama had shown her, but the whole Battle, the whole War! Every battle, every defeat and victory. It was like memories she had forgotten slowly returning into her mind. She didn't see the light gradually building in her chest. Her had eyes shut tight against the images. Pain was filling her heart and she fled, stumbling over the steps, thankfully not falling. Tears fell on Pauftymon and she looked up.
"Paufty?"
Yomoki turned; a bag in his hand. His eyes followed Yuuta's desperate flight. She was heading unconsciously towards the sakura trees. He followed her, pushing through the crowd.
Yuuta tripped and dropped Pauftymon, who quickly bounced. Yuuta managed to stay on her feet and stumbled into a tree, her arms wrapping around it. She lowered herself slowly, sobbing silently.
"Make it stop!" she whispered hoarsely.
His face flashed in her mind. Smiling in his picture, filled with pain as his Digimon hit the ground, gasping out blood as he was hit by debris in a battle, his eyes glowing with determination as his Crest flared, frozen in time. She stifled a scream seeing his lifeless face. Smiling, frowning, gasping, glowing, frowning, smiling, glowing, smiling, gasping, lifeless, lifeless, lifeless.
"No, no, no, no, no." Yuuta's shoulders shook.
"Yuuta?" Yomoki grasped her shoulder with his free hand and she turned, like startled deer.
Yomoki bit his lip as tears fell down her cheeks. She was one of the lucky few who looked pretty when they cried. The green shined in her eyes and her pale face brought out the natural flush.
"Why are you crying?" Yomoki demanded harshly.
Yuuta looked away, biting her own bottom lip. Her eyes closed in pain as her hero's lifeless face returned to her.
"Were those girls picking on you again?" She shook her head. "Then tell me! Don't look away! Can't you tell I love you?" She gasped and looked back at him.
"Do-do not say that." she pleaded. "I am only ni-"
"Ten. You're ten." Yomoki interrupted fiercely. "That doesn't matter! I still love you!"
"Stop it! Stop acting so much older!" She shrilled, closing her eyes. She pushed him away from her. She opened her eyes as she realized what she'd done. "I-I am so sorry, Fujima-san!" He got up slowly, dusting off his jeans. He had worn normal clothes in case he had to run to get to her.
"One day you're going to have to stop using your age as an excuse." Yomoki muttered angrily. He held out a bag to her. An orange koi swam in it, baffled at its abrupt ride. "I caught it for you."
Yuuta reached with both hands and held it gently. The orange reminded her of the Crest of Courage. She closed her eyes in pain once more, flinching slightly. Luckily, Yomoki didn't see.
Fireworks cracked through the air. They glanced up surprised. They looked at each other and then away. Yuuta gazed at the koi, the light reflecting in the clear plastic.
"I feel bad for him. I have never really liked that game. Capturing little fish and then putting them bags. They must be so scared. They unable to get out, or away, and they are all alone. It is like a cage you don't know is there until you hit it." Yuuta whispered.
Yomoki looked at her. Her face glistening in the dancing lights above them. The sadness and loneliness in her eyes squeezed his heart as they had in second grade when he met her. He had a feeling, even though she had friends who loved her, she still felt the cage. Her own body was that cage, unable to allow her the flight she desperately sought.
He walked toward her and grabbed the bag. She glanced up and followed him with her wide eyes. He opened the plastic bag and knelt by one of the many artificial koi ponds. He placed the bag in the water and let the koi inside swim out on its own.
Her heart felt a little light and she flushed slightly as he walked over and sat next to her. She stared at her hands. She felt kind of like how she felt when Pauftymon first formed in her hands as a Digiegg, and when she thought about her hero. It wasn't as intense...it was different...but it still made her feel a little breathless.
"One day...you're going to fly away, aren't you?" Yomoki whispered. She looked up at him, perplexed. He smiled sadly, softly. "You're going to fly out of your cage, just like that koi swam out of this bag." He lifted up the wet empty bag.
She looked at the pond, and nodded.
"Hai. One day..." A breeze swept over the ground, making Yuuta shiver in her thin kimono. It felt nice though, being cold, just like always.
Hands grabbed her shoulders and jerked her around. Black eyes met green-brown. Yomoki's lips softly kissed her forehead, his nose against her hair, pulled free from the barrettes.
"Happy birthday." He murmured against her skin. She blushed vividly.